“Should I fix my small umbilical hernia with suture now or later in life?”
I have a small umbilical hernia that can probably be fixed without the use of mesh (I was told by a surgeon that looked and pokes at it). I am not interested at all to have mesh put in me. The thing is I am 36, and still have hope to start a family before I'm 40. So, should I have my hernia fixed now by suture while it is still small, wait a year, and then try to conceive?
Female | 36 years old
2 Answers
You would require mesh or else there is a very high risk of recurrence.
The smaller the hernia is, the more likely it can be repaired without needing mesh. 2 cm is usually the cut off. Women of child-bearing age may be the exception to that rule. You may want to take care of the hernia before you get pregnant as they can turn into problems that you do not want to deal with during pregnancy. It is likely to get larger during pregnancy, requiring a more complex repair after you finish having children. You probably don't even need to wait to conceive after surgery. Speak with a surgeon and your obstetrician though.
